The Owl Nebula

[dark star]

Hi, just wanted to say that I managed to see the Owl Nebula last Friday night, for the first time ever. Using a 250mm reflector, HEQ5 mount with go to and an Astronomik 2 inch O111 filter. I wanted to try a target for my new filter

It certainly showed the value of the filter, without the filter I couldn't see the Owl Nebula at all visually! Admittedly it was faint and fuzzy and no eyes were visible, it looked nothing like an owl or how it does in images. Still, I am very pleased. The filter is rather expensive but worth it to me, it is pretty amazing being able to see something which is usually invisible! It cuts out the light pollution and I have read that it is also good when there is a moon.

I am looking forward to hopefully seeing the Veil Nebula for the first time with the filter later in the year.

David

[swamp thing]

Nice one. I've seen the Owl with my 10" from a VLM5 site without filter a few times. But cannot get the veil without an O-III. The veil is a bit trickier IMO.

Good hunting

[WaveSoarer]

I was lucky to be able to view the owl nebula without a filter. The veil nebula, on the other hand, really does need an OIII.

[Apollo Paul]

I observed the owl nebula last week without a filter. Southern and eastern

skys from my garden are luckly light pollution free.

I am hoping to view NGC 6543 (cats eye nebula)

and NGC 3242 (ghost of jupiter) next. The eskimo neb i cannot

see at the moment due to light pollution.

Best of luck with the veil.

[dark star]

I am on the outskirts of London so the light pollution is pretty bad, I was surprised to be able to see the Owl Nebula even with a filter! I will be reading up on other targets to try with it, besides the Veil.

David

[John]

Congratulations on spotting the Owl

I like to view it with an O-III and without. Without the filter you get a lovely pairing of the nebula with the galaxy M108 in a wide angle, low power eyepiece. The galaxy tends to disappear with the O-III filter in use. I can see hints of "the eyes" with my 12" scope on a dark night with the O-III in place. They are rather indistinct and abstract though - more slight variations in the surface brightness of the object than anything more, at least to my eyes.

[Special K]

The Owl is an achievement (having failed myself so many times to see it) and must have been even harder given the LP in your area. Just shows what a good scope can do!

[bomberbaz]

I have not managed either the owl or the veil but would love to get them. I have an O-III on order and a dark sight nights viewing on my calender (clouds permitting) so my radar is on them. Going off what is being said on here i shall go for the owl first. Fingers crossed.

John, how many degrees do you need to bag both objects please?

[rory]

now i made out the owl unfiltered and under a dollop of light pollution , faint yes but easily spotted, however i found the m108 galaxy very difficult to see and needed averted vision just to make out a hint of it . the viel nebula ,i viewed the two larger segments ,but only with a uhc filter , without a filter its totally invisible .

[John]

..John, how many degrees do you need to bag both objects please?...

I need just under 4 degrees to see both sides of the Veil Nebula in the same FoV. I can only get that with my 4" refractor. With my other scopes I examine each segment separately though they are still spectacular objects.

The Owl nebula and M108 are around .85 of a degree apart I think.

[bomberbaz]

hmm, I will chuck the sky watcher 80 in back of car when I do go hunting. That is giving me just under 3 degrees of vision with a 22 mag. However new EP 23mm Panorama gives 4.7 degrees at 17mag, the latter will be best if I can get the right skies, although I have not got the new EP yet but I am hopeful of good results.........................

[John]

I've seen the Veil with an ST80 and a Baader UHC-S filter. It needs pretty dark skies with that aperture but it's doable.

[bomberbaz]

From what i can gather the veil will be a fab object to find. I have a variety of filters. its going to be interesting trying out the various filters/ep to see what piece of gear works best.

[bish]

I've only seen the Owl from a dark site. I do intend to get an OIII filter though for a few of the tricky DSO's that are hidden by light pollution.

[Special K]

Feeling left out, I had another bash at M97 tonight and managed to get him at last! UHC was pretty useful this time around though it wasn't much more than a puff of smoke. It was at Zenith so maybe this had a lot to do with getting it this time. Happy Hunting!

[swamp thing]

Nice one not easy with a 5" newt, did you get M108 too?

[Special K]

Nice one not easy with a 5" newt, did you get M108 too?

Thanks! Nope, I tried for that too but couldn't place it in all honesty. No point in kidding myself There were moments when I thought I could detect a tiny light in the Owl but it wasn't consistent enough.

[John]

Thanks! Nope, I tried for that too but couldn't place it in all honesty. No point in kidding myself There were moments when I thought I could detect a tiny light in the Owl but it wasn't consistent enough.

M108 lies a little way from the Owl - you would need a low power eyepiece to get them both in the field of view and the UHC filter would have rendered it invisible I reckon. Once you have found the Owl with the filter try removing it and then seeing if you can see the galaxy.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The Owl is one of the trickier Messiers. M108 is tricky as well, and that needs clear, dark skies. A wide-band LP filter can help with certain forms of man-made LP, but moonlight is a problem. I did spot the Owl and M108 years back with a 6" Newt, but that was from a pretty dark locations, with both near zenith.

[Tiki]

From my back garden i can just about make out The Owl with my 4" refractor when conditions are good. OIII and UHC filters make it quite easy.

I keep looking for M108 (without a filter) but still with no joy. I hope to one day see two very dim objects in my EP.

[bomberbaz]

Failed again last night, the diagonal hits the base of the mount and throws the goto out. I have now shortened the diagonal by a further 14mm by removing a spacer and this should allow it to go to the zenith unhindered although viewing might be a little uncomfortable, i shall let you know how i get on.....